Port-folio



UNITED STATES ATEN'r lIEErcE,

LEWIS IIEYL, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVAKIA.

PORT-FOLIO.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwrs HEYL, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Port-Folio, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an interior view of a port-.folio in an open condition, illustrating my invention. l"ig. 2 is a sectional view of the same as closed. Figs. 3 and 4 are representations of the same port-folio, illustrating the manner in which the capacity of the same may be varied.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to provide a portfolio which may, by means of a simple contrivance, be adapted to contain any number of sheets, either many or few, and in order to thus render the port-folio capable of conforming to various quantities which it is to inclose, I employ a back piece in a novel manner, so that it maybe extended or let out and drawn in or contracted in such a way as to increase or diminish its width between the two leaves of the port-folio, and securely adjusted in any desired position, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

In order that others skilled in the art to which myin veution appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the respective leaves of a port-folio, which may be made of pasteboard or other suitable material and of any desired dimensions.

B is the back strap or piece, the office of which is principally to serve as a connecting medium between the two leaves of the portfolio and at the same time constitute part of the inclosure. It is manifest that it this back piece were permanently afxed at each side to the leaves of the port-folio the latter would only be capable of containing, in its fullest capacity a certain quantity, which would be regulated by the size of the back piece, or, rather, the distance which it would allow the leaves of the port-folio to be separated asunder. When the back piece is thus permanently attached, even a diminution ofthe quantity of such manner that its width between the two leaves A A may be varied in order that it may be made to conform to any quantity of sheet-s that may be placed within the port-folio, as will be understood from the following: At one side the back piece, D, is securely fastened to the back, and nearthe edge of the leaf A; thence it extends to the leaf A, and passes between the same and a strong rod, a., which is secured at the edge of theleaf A, so as to leave an intervening space, and the said piece B then continued till its width (speaking with4 relation to the distance between its sides that `extend parallel with the longer sides of the leaves) is such as to adapt it for use in connection with the largest quantity of sheets it may be desired to inclose. rlhis extended end ofthe back piece, B, is provided with an elastic metallic bar or spring, (l, the ends of which are pointed, as illustrated, for the purpose of adapting them to enter and remain in either of a series of apertures or notches in the flanged plates D D. These plates are formed of metal, and are firmly secured to the leaf A by rivets or otherwise. The adjustment of the spring C produces a corresponding variation in the width of that portion of the piece B which constitutes the back proper, and occupies a position between the approximate connected ends of the leaves.

By withdrawing the ends of the spring C from the plates D the back of the port-folio may be enlarged by merely drawing apart the leaves A A and then adjusting the spring C in place again. This adjustment of the spring C may be effected by inserting the ends of the spring beneath the flanges on the plates I), when the natural tendency of said spring will canse its ends to take into the notches in the plates D. To lessen the width ofthe back it is only necessary to move and adjust the spring C away from the rod a.

The papers or sheets to be inelosed within the port-folio may be fastened Within the same quantities of the matter to be inelosed therein, and to each other by means of the devices 'for as explained. which I obtained Letters Iatent October 13, 2. In con) bination with said extensiblebaek 1863, or in any other suitable manner. B, the adj ustin ,fg-spring U and notched plates Having thus described my invention, the D D, arranged and employed substantially as following is what I claim as new and desire set forth. to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A port-folio having an extensible back, B, arranged in any manner substantially as Witnesses: herein described, and employed to adapt the C. D. SMITH, port-folio to contain any quantity or Various T. SEBEITLIN.

LEWIS HEYL.

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